By Amanda Clark, Nominating Committee, LWVWA 

By now, you’ve probably heard a lot about joining the state Board of Directors. Last month, you read about the experiences of two new board members who went through the process of applying and being nominated to serve on the Board. This month, two experienced Board members in their second term share their Board experiences. 

Joan Lawson, Advocacy Portfolio Director, admits that she was somewhat at sea at first. Being asked to work with the Lobby Team was a challenge, but she thought, “What have I got to lose?” This proved to be a big job, but one of the things she’s happiest about is that the advocacy group now includes three board member portfolios, including the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion portfolio and the Lobby Team liaison. A benefit of this arrangement is that three board members attend Lobby Team meetings and support the Lobby Team. 

Joan continues to work with Action Chairs at local Leagues. Although they are appointed by their presidents to work on local issues, during the legislative session they are invaluable in assisting the Lobby Team in educating their local members and encouraging them to communicate with their legislative district representatives and senators to pass bills. Joan has been updating procedures and forms and thinks that effort was appreciated—she said she could bring the experience of a lifetime to improving procedures and editing the Legislative Newsletter. 

Would she encourage others to join the board? Yes. “It gives a place for competent people to shine. It brought me into new experiences where I could get along with high-powered people. It pushed me beyond where I was.” 

Linda Benson, Membership Development Portfolio Director, found meeting new people and building relationships statewide as benefits and the most satisfying aspects of being on the Board. Like most new Board members, when she was first elected, she did not know what position she would have on the Board, but she ended up taking over the Membership Engagement and Leadership Development (MELD) program. The four MELD pods (each with their own facilitator) meet monthly to share news, successes, challenges, and support. She also developed her portfolio to include the affinity discussion groups, where League members who share an interest in the same topic can talk about and exchange ideas, like a book club. 

Linda is a busy person: She also chairs the LWVWA 2022 Council Planning Committee, a huge responsibility. (She and her husband share calendars on their phones to avoid scheduling conflicts.)  

Would Linda encourage others to join the board? “It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done. It’s a job—you have to go in with your eyes open—but the rewards of personal growth and building relationships are worth it.” 

Interested in applying? Information is available in the For Members section of the LWVWA website. Members can both nominate others and apply directly on the webpage.